Driveshaft Gaiter Split - Repair with Glue or Replace

[ATM]

Hello

I have removed some driveshafts because the Gaiters are split at both ends - so all 4. Some body commented elsewhere that I could repair these rather than replace. Using some modern glue or sealant like Tiger Seal. This has sparked a conversation between a few friends. Some believe this is not a Proper repair and new gaiters would be better or last longer. I just dont know. Surely the modern sealants we have now can cope but it is obviously going to spend its life rotating and this will pull at the sealant constantly. What do people here think?

[lufbramatt]

How much is your time and effort worth to pull it all to bits again?

Gaiters are not mega expensive, just do it properly and replace imo.

[guards red]

If you have them out like that, ABSOLUTELY replace! Especially if the car means anything to you.

[ATM]

guards red said:

If you have them out like that, ABSOLUTELY replace! Especially if the car means anything to you.

Interesting username

[itcaptainslow]

Glueing is just a bodge. Replace.

[CrutyRammers]

There are glue together ones which are designed so that you can replace them without taking the driveshaft off. I've actually used a couple of these in the past and they worked fine.
BUT if you have the driveshafts off, replace them with new normal ones. And I'd never try to glue an old, split one.

[TwinKam]

And don't go for the cheapest ones you can find, they will be split again with a year...

[paintman]

The hard work has already been done.
Replace with new one piece ones.

Decent quality, not cheap ebay stuff which as already said may well not last & then you get to do the job all over again.
Based on my experience with the rubber boots on cheap peugeot drop links.
Links were fine, boots lasted around 6 months.

[ATM]

TwinKam said:

And don't go for the cheapest ones you can find, they will be split again with a year...

So how do I find good quality gaiters?

[E-bmw]

ATM said:

TwinKam said:

And don't go for the cheapest ones you can find, they will be split again with a year...

So how do I find good quality gaiters?

Just find a good brand name like with anything else.

Doesn't mean avoid ebay, it is always a good place to compare/look.

FAI/Febi/Borg & Beck are just a few likely candidates.

ETA. You can even get ones now that will stretch over the CV to remove the need to dismantle further than you have if you are struggling to remove the CV joints.

Edited by E-bmw on Tuesday 24th October 10:37

[ATM]

E-bmw said:

You can even get ones now that will stretch over the CV to remove the need to dismantle further than you have if you are struggling to remove the CV joints.

I have a friend who will hopefully do this for me.

[paintman]

E-bmw said:

Just find a good brand name like with anything else.

Doesn't mean avoid ebay, it is always a good place to compare/look.

FAI/Febi/Borg & Beck are just a few likely candidates.

ETA. You can even get ones now that will stretch over the CV to remove the need to dismantle further than you have if you are struggling to remove the CV joints.

Edited by E-bmw on Tuesday 24th October 10:37

Thinking of these?
www.bailcast.com/automotive/

[ATM]

This place offering completely new box fresh drive shafts to fit for only 91.99 delivered

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172482552789

[TwinKam]

ATM said:

TwinKam said:

And don't go for the cheapest ones you can find, they will be split again with a year...

So how do I find good quality gaiters?

Good question, it's a minefield. What ever it is that they've banned from being in 'rubber' (for the sake of the environment/public health?), they need to put it back in!
Like a lot of aftermarket parts, the name on the box is no more a guarantee of the make or quality of the part in the box than the price you pay for it; a lot of parts are generic and bought and boxed by multiple 'brands'. And the suppliers may change with every batch, and may well be different across their range. Once-trusted names are sometimes now nothing more than that, just names that have been bought and cynically used to convey a perception of quality (eg Lucas, Borg & Beck). The only truly safe bet is to go OE.
Or you could try to have a frank conversation with your local motor factor and tell them that you are looking for a quality product as you don't expect to be repeating the job within 5 years. But most don't honestly know what they are selling, and only go by the volume of returns they get.

[guards red]

ATM said:

This place offering completely new box fresh drive shafts to fit for only 91.99 delivered

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172482552789

I wouldn't buy those given a choice. They're cheap for a reason.

If they are for that 993, genuine Porsche inner ones are about £40 each. GKN ones are okay too.

[Smint]

Yes replace with new every time, plus you can fully clean out and replace the grease working easy now they're off.
OE usually last decades, makes sense to replace with like.

Hopefully it will only require the pinging of a circlip to slide the CV joint off the spline.

[stevieturbo]

Completely encase them with Tiger seal and let us know how it goes.